Sibling Rivalry - Help!

This question has probably come up many times before - so sorry if you have been through this a lot already!
I have two cats, both were strays.
Mia Mimi was here before Cubby, by about 7 months.
Mia Mimi gets really tense and aggro when Cubby comes near. She is always on edge when he is around.
Cubby tends to goad and corner her. He keeps at it sometimes until I intervene.
Mia Mimi lashes out, no blood is drawn but it is awful.
They used to both sleep on my bed, but now only Mia does. Cubby will not do it anymore. This must really be her territory!

Do you think that this is some kind of attention seeking behaviour?

I try to give them both the same amount of quality time. they are fed at the same time, same food. Both get special treats and lots of love.
when Cubby first came here he was in urgent need of being neutered, which i got done very quickly as he tried to mate with Mia several times, holding her down with his mouth around her neck. Of course she hated this. (Now he usually just humps my slippers as far as I know.LOL)

I have had to go away a couple of times over night and left them alone together inside. When I came home , terrified of what I was going to find, all was calm and nothing seemed out of place. they were both very happy to see me which was lovely. :

so maybe they do not have these spats when I am not around?

As they were strays it is hard to know their backgrounds and ages, but I think Mia Mimi is about 3.1/2 and Cubby 1. 1/2 ( Vets' estimate )

I really really wish so much all this squabbling would stop and we can be a peaceful and happy household. It saddens me that this hostility happens

This is likely just their way of working out the dominance hierarchy. It is possible that if you acknowledge that Cubby is the king cat by always feeding and petting him first, he might be more satisfied. Also, when there are dominance problems they are almost always reduced if the top cat has an elevated perch on which to sit. For some reason, simply having an elevated throne makes it so they don't have to always prove they are the top kitties. So, a tall cat tree or other perch will likely help. Anyway....try not treating them equally (at least outwardly) and let Cubby be king. This might calm things down a tad.

Good luck.

Hi there!

i read in an article regarding a similar situation.

i was wondering if you know who is the MORE aggressive of the two? According to the article, it is recommended that more attention and play time needs to be placed on the kitty which is the more aggressive of the two (possibly needs more attention.)

This tip actually helps me ALOT.

i have two kitties.

Actually, Venus, the 5-month old kitten, tends to be more aggressive at times. When she behaves that way, i would play her favorite game (fetch) with her for a longer duration, spending extra time with her. That is how she tones down.

Research work really pays off, i tell you.

Take care of you and your furbabies!

Cheers!